Entered according to the Act of Congress, in the year 1841, by A. W. MITCHELL,
M. D., in the office of the Clerk of the District Court for the Eastern District of
Pennsylvania.

PREFACE,

PART I.

CHAPTER I.

14

Application to the Parliament by the London Ministers to call a

Synod-A bill presented to the king for this purpose at the

treaty of Oxford-The Parliament enact the same in form of

an Ordinance-The Ordinance itself-The names of the lords

and gentlemen chosen to sit in the Assembly-Complete list of

the Divines nominated in the Ordinance, and those afterwards

added,

CHAPTER II.

The Assembly opened-Rules of proceeding-Solemn oath of

the members-Assembly divided into three committees-Re-

vision of the ARTICLES undertaken-Description of the room

and manner of sitting, and of transacting business,

CHAPTER III.

Delegation from Parliament and the Assembly to Scotland-

Solemn League and Covenant-Commissioners chosen to go to

the Westminster Assembly-Their Commission-Reception of

the Commissioners-They decline sitting as members,

CHAPTER IV.

Covenant approved by Parliament and the Assembly-Is solemnly

sworn by the members of both Houses-Tendered to the peo-

ple and taken by many-All persons in office, and all persons

ordained required to take it,

CHAPTER V.

Episcopalians mostly decline attending-The members divided

into three parties-Their respective opinions-Distinguished

leaders,

Fifteen Articles of the Church of England revised-A view of the

alterations proposed,

17

27

32

41

46

54

66

Origin of the difference between Parliament and the Assembly of

Divines,

CHAPTER XV.

Parliament and the London Ministers-Disputes about toleration

and uniformity,

CHAPTER XVI.

Sequestration of Ministers-Ejection of Masters and Professors

from the University of Cambridge,

CHAPTER XVII.

Prevalent errors and sectaries during this period,

113

124

137

143

PREFACE.

THE authentic minutes or journal of the proceedings of the Westminster Assembly of Divines have unhappily been lost, or lie concealed in some place where they have escaped the notice of all who have given any account of this venerable Assembly. But if we had them, it is not probable that they would afford us much satisfaction, as they of course would contain no more than a dry detail of motions and resolutions, without any report of the reasonings and arguments for or against each proposition.

As far as we know, no history of the Assembly has ever been separately written. Neal, in his "History of the Puritans," has given by far the fullest account of this important synod; but it is interspersed in the civil and political history of the times. Neal seems to have had access to important documents, some of which are referred to as manuscripts, in his possession; he never refers, however, to the journals of the Assembly, from which it may be inferred, that he had not seen them. Robert Baillie, Principal of the University of Glasgow, and one of the Scottish Commissioners to the Westminster Assembly, wrote many letters during his attendance on the body, giving a brief, familiar account of various transactions, and particularly describes their manner of sitting and doing business, with some notice of persons and